Published: February 21, 2007 02:15 pm      

Local bodybuilder proves it’s never too late

BROWNSBURG — Each morning, she wakes up at 5 a.m. for the first of three daily workouts, and somehow manages to squeeze in a full-time job and raise a son on her own.

Kate Stewart wasn’t always so dedicated. Just a few years ago, the 40-year-old was about 80 pounds overweight and described herself as “very unhappy.” Now, the Brownsburg resident is about to compete in one of the most elite bodybuilding competitions in the world — The Arnold Classic Amateur, named in honor of Arnold Schwarzenegger. This year’s event is March 2-3.

“I’m not in it for the trophy,” Stewart said. “The trophy for me is the person I’ve become.”

How she got here

Stewart said she was raised by her father and her adoptive mother. When she was in high school, her mother was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. She said they were close and she had to grow up fast.

As an adult, Stewart’s son was born a few months prematurely, and soon after her husband was diagnosed with a tumor. He survived, but the marriage did not.

“I used to ask some of my friends who went through (a separation), ‘how do you know when enough is enough?’ They said, ‘oh, you’ll know,’ and I knew when I reached my breaking point,” Stewart said.

After her divorce, she began to address low self-esteem problems that had plagued her for years. She read self-help books and bought a treadmill and eventually ended up running the Indianapolis Mini Marathon.

She said her transition into dedicated bodybuilder was progressive. After a few trips to The Arnold in Columbus, Ohio, she began to think maybe this would be the way to lose a stubborn 10 pounds. But she admits she had her doubts.

“I thought ‘I’m 39 years old, how could I do that?’” Stewart said.

This is only her second year of competition.

Day by day

At The Arnold, Stewart made an appointment with Kim Oddo, a trainer from California.

“I asked him, ‘do you think I can compete?’ and he said “no, I know you can compete,” she said of their first meeting.

She gives him much credit for her success. He checks in on her progress and acts as her nutritionist, as well as personal trainer.

Stewart is now a regular at Twenty First Century Fitness. She can be found there after work as a sales representative with HPS in Indianapolis. She said she’s found most of her friends there and the gym even opened on a holiday once so she could work out.

Her diet is strictly regulated while gearing up for a competition. There is no alcohol and she eats seven times a day, usually a lean meat and vegetable. Last year, Stewart said she went through a stretch where she was eating Tilapia, without seasoning, for five of those meals.

She admits to struggling with temptation, especially since she cooks regular meals for her son almost every night after working out.

Stewart is 5’4” and weighed 115 pounds at her first competition last year. She did well there, qualifying for nationals.

She competes in figure, where she is judged on her poses, physique, suits — which can cost up to a $1000 — her make-up, hair, and nails. She said the last two weeks of training is the best because she gets to pamper herself with a manicure.

She said she’s seen many benefits from her workouts. She’s fighting off osteoporosis and building better muscle mass while setting a good example for her son.

People can be judgmental, she said, noting that some view her as shallow or too obsessed with her looks. All she can do about that, she said, is shrug them off.

“Don’t judge me for what I eat,” she said. “I don’t judge you for the chicken wings and grimy slime you’re putting down your throat.”

kristine.brite@flyergroup.com